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This article provides an overview of Temporary Worker Programs (TWPs) in different countries, and the
implications of the variety of programs on Canadian labour migration policies. In traditional immigration
countries such as the U.S., TWPs were the great exception, with unions and immigrant advocates generally
opposed to “contract labour” programs, whether they admitted immigrants who were bound to their first
employer for several years, or non-immigrants, required to leave after a certain number of months or years.
By contrast, European guest worker programs admitted probationary immigrants, meaning that rights to reunify
families, to change employers and to remain in the country depended on having an employer request the
necessary work permits for residence card renewals. Most guest workers returned to their countries of origin
as expected, but some settled, giving European countries significant minority populations. Canada’s TWPs
mirror American as well as European programs. As in the U.S., certain TWPs admit temporary workers to fill
temporary jobs, others admit temporary workers to fill year-round jobs, and some give temporary workers an
inside track to immigrant status, while others do not. As in Europe, Canada has probationary immigrant
programs, such as the Live-in Caregiver Program, similar to European guest worker programs.